United States Department of COMMERCE NEWS
Washington, D.C. 20230
ECONOMICS AND STATISTICS ADMINISTRATION
Bureau of the Census
This release contains sensitive economic data not to be released before
10:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 29, 2002
CB-02-14 Press Copy
FT-900A (01-12)
For information contact:
Haydn Mearkle (301) 457-2246
Nick Orsini (301) 457-2311
Preliminary: U.S. Imports for Consumption of Steel Products December 2001
The Bureau of the Census, through the Department of Commerce, announced
today that preliminary December steel imports were $0.8 billion (1.9 million
metric tons). This was a decrease of $0.1 billion (0.5 million metric tons)
from the preliminary November totals of $0.9 billion (2.4 million metric tons).
The November to December change in steel imports, based on metric tonnage,
reflected decreases primarily in blooms, billets and slabs, and reinforcing bars.
Monthly changes in steel imports reflected decreases primarily with Brazil and
Canada.
The year to date final statistics through November of 2001 showed steel
imports of 25.3 million metric tons, a decrease of 7.0 million metric tons
through November 2000. The largest commodity decreases were in hot rolled
sheets; blooms, billets and slabs; heavy structural shapes; and plates in
coils. The largest country decreases were with Ukraine, India, China, and
Taiwan.
Notes:
The data in this report are preliminary and subject to revisions.
Analysis of recent months for steel product imports indicates the value of
preliminary data should equal about 96 percent of the final value reported
in the regular monthly trade statistics report. Preliminary data reported
for individual steel categories and at the individual country of origin
level have been less consistently predictive of the final data reported in
the regular monthly trade statistics. For further details visit the Foreign
Trade Division web site at: www.census.gov/foreign-trade/www/. On the web
site you can access product by country and country by product tables.
The next release is February 26, 2002
SOURCE: Report FT900A (CB-02-14), U.S. Census Bureau, Foreign Trade
Division, Preliminary DECEMBER 2001. For more information, contact
Haydn R. Mearkle (301-457-2246) or Nick Orsini (301-457-2311),
Foreign Trade Division.